Tensions are mounting within Côte d’Ivoire’s political landscape as the Coalition for Change and Peace in Côte d’Ivoire (CAP-CI) faces internal divisions, just as the ruling RHDP party embarks on a rebranding effort ahead of the 2025 presidential election.
On Monday, June 23, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) launched a technical training session for sponsorship coordinators supporting presidential candidates.
The goal is to ensure participants are equipped with the necessary procedures for collecting citizen signatures, managing biometric authentication failures, and fulfilling party oversight roles.
The session drew representatives from major opposition figures, including Laurent Gbagbo of the PPA-CI and Cheick Tidjane Thiam of the PDCI-RDA.
Both leaders were excluded from the latest electoral list published on June 4 but continue to wield considerable political influence.
Their representatives’ participation was interpreted by their parties as a sign of dedication to a “peaceful, credible, and inclusive” electoral process.
However, within CAP-CI—a newly formed opposition alliance—the presence of these representatives has sparked confusion and discontent.
The newspaper Le Rassemblement highlighted growing dissent with the stark headline: “Barely born, the CAP-CI alliance falls apart.”
Meanwhile, the ruling RHDP (Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace) is turning its attention to party unity and public image.
At a press conference held on Wednesday at RHDP headquarters on Rue Lepic, senior party members, including ministers Kobenan Kouassi Adjoumani, Amédée Kouakou and Mariatou Koné, reflected on the outcomes of the party’s second ordinary congress, held on June 21 and 22 at the Abidjan Exhibition Centre and Ébimpé Stadium.
Discussions centered on the party’s recent mobilization efforts, revisions to internal regulations, and the future of its visual identity.
Notably, Minister Mariatou Koné addressed the lingering presence of the PDCI emblem within the RHDP’s current logo.
“The RHDP logo will be submitted to a competitive call for designers,” she announced, as reported by Le Matin.
As the October election approaches, the ruling party’s branding efforts contrast sharply with the fragmentation gripping its political challengers.
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